Penguin First Editions :: Early First Edition Penguin Books

We are grateful to Christopher Holland for sending us some images of New Zealand Penguin book covers. This has inspired the creation of a separate page entry for early Penguin books printed in New Zealand.

This subject was originally commented on by Laurrie Jagger in PCS Newsletter 28 (May 1987) and further expanded by Annette Whitford in PCS Newsletter 36 (June 1991).

To avoid transporting books across the seas at a time of war, when convoys were attacked and merchant ships sunk, some Penguin books were printed abroad, such as those in Australia. This also had the advantage of avoiding the paper rationing imposed in the UK. The books which survive seem to point to publishing between 1941 and 1945. It was only much later, in 1973, that Penguin Books Ltd. opened a New Zealand Office in Auckland. During the war, Penguin used 4 firms of printers and those war-time books also carried advertisements.

The books are listed, as best as can be discerned from the information currently available, in chronological order of printing in New Zealand. Although the book numbers were the equivalent of those used for the UK Penguin series, only some of them are displayed on the spine, and indeed only some of the books carry the 'penguin' colophon on the spine. The books were slightly larger (at 183mm x 125mm) than the standard Penguin Book of the time.

They are listed below with an 'NZ' prefix (our cataloguing) followed by the UK series number.

Many of these books are available at the National Library of New Zealand.

Information and cover photographs of New Zealand Penguin Books:

NZ-S102	No.: NZ-S102 Title: GUERRILLA WARFARE Author: Bert 'Yank' Levy Introduction: by Tom Wintringham Date Published: 1941 Pages: 96pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 26 January 1942 (measures 120mm x 180mm) The second image shows a copy of an advertisement in a New Zealand newspaper, The 'Northern Advocate' published on 1 July 1942. At page 6 it states 'First Penguin Book to be printed in New Zealand'. Although it states the book is due to arrive at the end of July 1942, The Murders in Praed Street (NZ-98 below) is listed as being published in January 1941. There may have been some confusion between a 'Penguin' and a 'Penguin Special'. Barry O'Sullivan adds that on the inside cover of his copy "is a pasted in, printed introduction by the G.O.C. NZ Military Forces commending this book to the Home Guard and Army, signed E Puttick, Lieutenant-General, Commanding NZ Military Forces, Army Headquarters, Wellington NZ 23rd July 1942." Images and further detail courtesy of Barry O'Sullivan
NZ-98	No.: NZ-98 Title: THE MURDERS IN PRAED STREET Author: John Rhode Type: Crime Date Published: January 1941 Pages: Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 18 June 1937
NZ-64	No.: NZ-64 Title: THE FOUR JUST MEN Author: Edgar Wallace Type: Crime Date Published: 1941 Pages: 96pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 29 July 1936
NZ-337	No.: NZ-337 Title: JUMPING JENNY Author: Anthony Berkeley Type: Crime Date Published: 1941 Pages: 186pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 21 July 1942
NZ-353	No.: NZ-353 Title: ARTISTS IN CRIME Author: Ngaio Marsh Type: Crime Date Published: 1941 Pages: 224pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 24 October 1941
NZ-355	No.: NZ-355 Title: THE NURSING-HOME MURDER Author: Ngaio Marsh and Dr H. Jellett Type: Crime Date Published: 1941 Pages: Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 12 March 1942 [printed date: 1941] Image courtesy of Drew Kent
NZ-137	No.: NZ-137 Title: DEATH AT SWAYTHLING COURT Author: J. J. Connington Type: Crime Date Published: January 1942 Pages: 246pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 8 April 1938
NZ-377	No.: NZ-377 Title: A BULLET IN THE BALLET Author: Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon Type: Crime Date Published: January 1942 Pages: 128pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 20 February 1942 [printed date: January 1942] Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-316	No.: NZ-316 Title: MODERN AMERICAN SHORT STORIES Selection by: Alan Steele and Joan Hancock Type: Fiction Date Published: September 1942 Pages: 130pp. Printer: Stone and Son Coy Ltd, Wellington First Published by Penguin in UK: 11 March 1941 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-350	No.: NZ-350 Title: SILK: A Legend, As Narrated in the Journals and Correspondence of Jan Po Author: Samuel Merwin Type: Fiction Date Published: 1942 Pages: 140pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 21 September 1942 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-378	No.: NZ-378 Title: DEATH IN THE STOCKS Author: Georgette Heyer Type: Crime Date Published: 1942 Pages: 204pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 21 September 1942 Image courtesy of Bethany Hall/Andrew Malin
NZ-379	No.: NZ-379 Title: DEATH OF A GHOST Author: Margery Allingham Type: Crime Date Published: 1942 Pages: Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 21 September 1942
NZ-402	No.: NZ-402 Title: PANIC PARTY Author: Anthony Berkeley Type: Crime Date Published: 1942 Pages: 256pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: November 1942
NZ-PD6	No.: NZ-PD6 Title: PENGUIN PARADE (6) Sub-Title: New Stories, Poems, etc. by Contemporary Writers Edited by: Denys Kilham Roberts Date Published: March 1944 Pages: 174pp. Printer: Stone and Son Coy Ltd, Dunedin and Wellington First Published by Penguin in UK: 28 July 1939
NZ-321	No.: NZ-321 Title: MR NORRIS CHANGES TRAINS Author: Christopher Isherwood Type: Fiction Date Published: May 1944 Pages: 160pp. Printer: Abel Dykes Ltd, Auckland Price: 1/6d. First Published by Penguin in UK: November 1942 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-384	No.: NZ-384 Title: WILLIAM COOK - ANTIQUE DEALER Author: Richard Keverne Type: Crime Date Published: June 1944 Pages: 234pp. Printer: Abel Dykes Ltd, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: November 1942 [printed date: August 1942] Image courtesy of Andrew Malin
NZ-209	No.: NZ-209 Title: NO. 17 Author: J. Jefferson Farjeon Type: Crime Date Published: July 1944 Pages: 144pp. Printer: Abel Dykes Ltd, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 25 May 1939 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-96	No.: NZ-96 Title: SELECTED MODERN SHORT STORIES (1) Selected by: Alan Steele Type: Fiction Date Published: October 1944 Pages: 108pp. Printer: Stone and Son Coy Ltd, Wellington First Published by Penguin in UK: 18 June 1937 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-152	No.: NZ-152 Title: ENTER A MURDERER Author: Ngaio Marsh Type: Crime Date Published: 1944 Pages: 166pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 26 August 1938 Annette Whitford lists this book as printed by the National Printing Coy Ltd, Auckland. The version held and catalogued by the National Library of New Zealand is a 'Forces Book Club' edition, printed by Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland.
NZ-190	No.: NZ-190 Title: DEATH OF MY AUNT Author: C. H. B. Kitchin Type: Crime Date Published: 1944 Pages: 112pp. Printer: National Printing Coy Ltd, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 3 February 1939
NZ-320	No.: NZ-320 Title: SUNSHINE SKETCHES OF A LITTLE TOWN Author: Stephen Leacock Type: Fiction Date Published: 1944 Pages: 158pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 11 March 1941 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-383	No.: NZ-383 Title: THE GENERAL GOES TOO FAR Author: Lewis Robinson Type: Crime Date Published: 1944 Pages: 206pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: January 1943 [printed date: 1942]
NZ-416	No.: NZ-416 Title: THE LADY OF THE BARGE Author: W. W. Jacobs Type: Fiction Date Published: 1944 Pages: 160pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland Price: 1/6d. First Published by Penguin in UK: August 1943 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-419	No.: NZ-419 Title: HERE LIES The Collected Stories of ... Author: Dorothy Parker Type: Fiction Date Published: 1944 Pages: 192pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland Price: 1/6d. First Published by Penguin in UK: July 1943 Image courtesy of Christopher Holland
NZ-429	No.: NZ-429 Title: WHY SHOOT A BUTLER? Author: Georgette Heyer Type: Crime Date Published: 1944 Pages: 220pp. Printer: Wilson and Horton Ltd, Herald Printing Works, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: July 1943
NZ-62	No.: NZ-62 Title: THE MISSING MONEYLENDER Author: W. Stanley Sykes Type: Crime Date Published: April 1945 Pages: Printer: National Printing Coy Ltd, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: 29 July 1936
NZ-407	No.: NZ-407 Title: CUT THROAT Author: Christopher Bush Type: Crime Date Published: 1945 Pages: 184pp. Printer: National Printing Coy Ltd, Auckland First Published by Penguin in UK: April 1943 [printed date: October 1942]

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